The introduction of the micro four thirds system was a godsend for independent filmmakers and video production companies. It has brought on stills and video powerhouses that made pro-grade features such as LOG profiles, high frame rates, and 4K recording accessible to a lot of aspiring content creators.

The popularity of m43 systems grew, and so did unique lens offerings and groundbreaking accessories from third party players. Some gems include the highly regarded Metabones Speed Booster adapter and super fast manual focus primes from Mitakon Zhongyi’s Speedmaster line. Today, we’re going to look at Kowa Prominar lenses for micro four thirds cameras. Kowa has more than 60 years of history developing world class optics, and bringing that caliber of expertise into the micro four thirds segment is all kinds of exciting. And the best part, they sorta fly under the radar so you can score some deals on these Kowa lenses on eBay.

What’s so Special about Kowa Prominar Lenses for Micro Four Thirds?

It may not be all evident at a glance, but all Kowa Prominar lenses are aimed towards both still shooters and videographers. Behind the robust, Japan-made aluminum body and vintage design is what Kowa calls a “Dual Link Iris” system. It’s basically a clever mechanism which allows the user to easily switch between hard-stop aperture adjustments to de-clicked, smooth T-stop designated adjustments — turning it into a “cine” lens with just a quick press and a twist of the iris ring.

Kowa Prominar 12mm f1.8

 

Moritz Janisch of Fenchel & Janisch recommends the Kowa Prominar 12mm f1.8 for Panasonic GH4 and BMPCC (Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera) shooters who don’t want to bother with adapters. He also praises the superb image quality, convenient 20 cm minimum focus distance (for close up shots), smooth focusing ring, and the aforementioned Dual Iris system.

“The images captured with the Prominar 12mm are very sharp and have a nice highlight roll off. Chromatic aberration or color fringing is not visible, which often is an issue when shooting wide angle lenses.

…The Kowa 12mm is not only a good choice for landscape or architecture shots, but also to capture close up shots because of its minimum focus distance of only 20 cm.”

Being a 24mm equivalent, the Kowa Prominar 12mm f1.8 is an impressive wide angle lens for videographers who need fast primes for low light scenes. For more test shots showcasing the 12mm’s sharpness, bokeh rendition and more, check out Fenchel & Janisch’s sample video shot using the Kowa Prominar 12mm f1.8 and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

Kowa Prominar 8.5mm f2.8

The Prominar trio seems to have slipped under the community’s radar, with the Kowa lenses gaining little coverage as a result. Fortunately, music photographer and m43 enthusiast David Thorpe has done an informative overview for the three Kowa Prominar lenses (the video featured under the title).

David gives high praises for the trio’s excellent build quality and nicely weighted focusing ring. He also appreciates the innovative dual iris system that should be a boon for hybrid shooters.

“All the lenses are made in Japan from aluminum alloy and feel like they’ve been machined out of a solid block. If you like the feel of 60s and 70s Nikon lenses, and if there’s anybody who doesn’t, you will love these….

Focusing is uniformly smooth silky and fairly heavily weighted. For video makers, the focus weight makes a smooth on the go focusing. For stills, it just feels luxurious.”

In terms of optical performance, David seems to have been very satisfied with his comparison shots and have noted that both the 8.5mm and 25mm performed well in center sharpness even wide open. Distortion is controlled really well, considering just how this lens is approaching fisheye territory.

“Distortion is impressively low [referring to 8.5mm], the more so when you consider that having no data connection to the camera, no correction can be applied in-camera — it has to be designed out; a sign of sound lens design.”

For MTF charts and more sample shots, check out ePHOTOzine’s in-depth testing of this phenomenal wide angle lens for micro four thirds. Below is a gorgeous low-light reel taken with this lens paired with a BMPCC4K.

Kowa Prominar 25mm f1.8

It’s the same story with the Kowa Prominar 25mm f1.8. This all-manual standard prime for micro four thirds was consistently sharp across the frame with only a tinge of softness in the corners, even wide open. The Prominar 25mm f1.8 also rendered beautiful out of focus backgrounds which David Thorpe found to be very attractive.

“The 25mm, 8.5mm are the stars. With the 8.5mm being soft at the corners [when shot wide open] but nothing that shows on normal viewing. And the 25mm being good and sharp all across the frame [shot wide open] except in extreme corners.

Lastly, something I don’t often remark on but which is a feature of these lenses. The quality of the out of focus areas; it’s very attractive with all of them. It’s most obvious with the 25mm…”

Enjoy some beautiful cinematic goodness shot using all three Prominar lenses in all of its 4K glory below.

The Kowa Prominar trio of amazing manual lenses may be underrated gems, but from what we’ve heard from pros, and more importantly, what we’ve seen from the footage they’re producing, there should be no doubt that these Prominar lenses are pure cinematic powerhouses. If you’re a content creator who’s looking for a micro four thirds lens kit that can do well in stills and filmmaking, look no further than the Kowa Prominar lenses.